Ryan X-13-like Tailsitter Interceptor

 aircraft, art, history, Hmm..., projects  No Responses »
Jul 032023
 

Ryan released this piece of art in 1958 depicting a tailsitter fighter somewhat like their X-13. However, this was clearly a much larger vehicle, operational rather than experimental. More than anything it resembles a slimmed-down and stretched-out Avro Arrow. It’s unclear that this was based on an actual engineering study, rather than artistic license.

This would seem to be an interceptor, presumably installed somewhere in Europe within hidden underground bunkers. It’s not at all certain to me that in the event of all out war there’d be any real point in having these aircraft be able to land vertically as their bunkers would probably be radioactive glass by they time they got home… and without the dedicated equipment needed to catch the aircraft, they’d be unable to land.

 

 

 Posted by at 10:10 pm

The X-57 won’t fly

 aircraft, Hmm..., news, projects, science  No Responses »
Jun 302023
 

A NASA article on the status of the X-57 “Maxwell” says that they’re wrapping up work on it, with no mention of it actually flying:

X-57 Project Creates Paths Toward Electric Aviation

The X-57 is a modification of an existing conventional aircraft to be all-electric. Lots of new technologies were integrated and apparently some useful advances were made, but the real issue remains batteries. Until the energy density of batteries gets a *lot* better, electric-powered aircraft are going to remain pretty niche. Flying the X-57 would be nice, but with the existing batteries it’s kind of dead in the water.

What would be great is if NASA kept working on the X-57 at a low level. The technologies onboard would be occasionally upgraded, and when meaningfully better batteries – or perhaps some sort of modular fuel cell system, perhaps, or indeed a small nuclear reactor (a man can dream) – become available, integrate them into the vehicle and at last fly it.

 Posted by at 10:49 am

Three of my books on ebay

 aircraft, B-47 and B-52 Origins and Evolution, books, CAD diagrams, drawings, eBay, history, Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird Origins and Evolution, projects, SR-71 Origins and Evolution, US Supersonic Bomber Projects Vol 1  No Responses »
Jun 062023
 

I put one copy of each of my current books on ebay. They’re all in brand-new condition, and will be signed/dated when sold. They also come with bonus 18X24-inch prints… the “SR-71” book has two prints of the SR-71, the “B-47/B-52” book has one B-47 diagram and two B-52 diagrams; “US Supersonic Bomber Projects Vol. 1” has two B-70 Valkyrie diagrams. Take a look…

 

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (Origins and Evolution): Signed, with bonus prints

Boeing B-47 Stratojet and B-52 Stratofortress: Signed, with bonus prints

US Supersonic Bomber Projects Volume 1:  Signed, with bonus prints

 

 Posted by at 11:36 pm

An anomaly at Amazon

 AARRRGH, aircraft, books, Crazy, Hmm..., Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird Origins and Evolution, projects, SR-71 Origins and Evolution, ಠ_ಠ  No Responses »
May 222023
 

With the release of my latest book, I went to Amazon to see if my previous works are currently available (SR-71: yes; B-47/B-52: yes; Vol 1: currently no). In the process, I was surprised to see that there is a *hardback* version of my SR-71 book available. This is surprising for several reasons…

1: No mention of it was made to me by the publisher

2: It’s a relatively slim volume for a hardback

3: There has been some discussion, so far quite preliminary, of an expanded version of the SR-71 book at some point in the future, which would be more appropriate as a hardback.

Anyway, the listing looks like this:

 

“Huh,” sez I, so I click on the “hardback” link to see what it looks like. And… it looks like this:

 

 

Wait, what?

 

Now, that’s a perfectly fine book. I have a copy myself. But it’s not *my* book.

 

I also noticed that there are 187 reviews, which is substantially more than I recall there being. And that’s because the reviews for Goodall’s book are mashed in with reviews for mine.

Somebody hit the wrong button somewhere.

So if you want to get a copy or three of my book – an urge I wholeheartedly support – just make sure you order the right book. I’ve contacted the publisher about this and they’re baffled; they’ve contacted the people they need to to try to get this weirdness resolved.

 

 

Oh, and there’s this, for whatever it’s worth:

 

Woo, and, indeed, hoo.

 Posted by at 3:25 pm

US Supersonic Bomber Projects Vol. 2

 aircraft, awesomeness, books, new products, news, projects, rockets, US Supersonic Bomber Projects Vol 2  No Responses »
May 212023
 

My next book, released for pre-order and to be shipped in a few weeks:

US Supersonic Bomber Projects 2

“The threat posed by the Soviet Union throughout the postwar period coincided with an explosion of innovation and can-do attitude among America’s aircraft manufacturers. Challenging requirements and experimentation resulted in a huge variety of designs for aircraft powered by nuclear reaction, aircraft capable of flying faster than Mach 5, advanced bombers able to land and take-off from the surface of the ocean, VTOL fighters and bombers, and many others. Aerospace engineer Scott Lowther collects some of the most radical and beyond-the-state-of-the-art ‘secret projects’ in this – the second volume of his US projects series.”

 Posted by at 6:31 pm

Stratolaunch drops a Talon

 aircraft, news, projects, rockets, spacecraft  No Responses »
May 132023
 

Stratolaunch Successfully Completes Separation Test of Talon-A Vehicle

Stratolaunch LLC announces it has successfully completed a separation release test of the Talon-A separation test vehicle, TA-0. The flight was the eleventh for the company’s launch platform Roc and the second time the team has conducted flight operations in Vandenberg Space Force Base’s Western Range off California’s central coast.

 Posted by at 11:24 pm

“Journey to the Stars”

 art, awesomeness, history, Monthly Historical Documents Program, Patreon, projects, rockets, science, science fiction, spacecraft  No Responses »
May 062023
 

In 1983 “Science Digest” ran an article that 13-year-old me lost his tiny little mind over. Illustrated by Rick Sternbach, designer of, among other Star Trek vehicles and artifacts, the USS Voyager, it described a series of possible means of interstellar travel. While the physics and engineering of some of them have proven dodgy in the years since (the Bussard ramjet has serious problems with the proposed magnetic fiend, the Enzmann starship has turned out to not be as well thought out as many had assumed, etc.), it remains a tantalizing glimpse of what might be. The article has been scanned in full color and made available to APR Patrons/subscribers at the above-$10 level.

 

If you would like to help fund the acquisition and preservation of such things, along with getting high quality scans for yourself, please consider signing on either for the APR Patreon or the APR Monthly Historical Documents Program. Back issues are available for purchase by patrons and subscribers.



 

 

 

 

 

 Posted by at 11:29 am

April 2023 APR Rewards

 aircraft, art, awesomeness, drawings, history, Monthly Historical Documents Program, new products, Patreon, projects, rockets, spacecraft  No Responses »
May 012023
 

The rewards for April, 2023, have been released. They include:

Document: *Partial* Martin report on the M329 Mach 2 jet seaplane bomber

Document: “Flexible Wing Manned Test Vehicle, Final Program Report,” Ryan, December 1961. report on the development of the “Rogallo Wing” test vehicle.

Document: “10 Jahre TKF/J-90 Vorentwicklung,” conference paper from 1983 from Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm Gmbh describing (in German) the development of advanced fighter jets

Large Format: “NASA’s Space Launch System,” poster with detailed diagrams of the Block 1 and Block 1B SLS

CAD Diagram: B-1B weapons loads. This diagram was created and intended for my “US Supersonic Bomber Projects Volume 1” but had to be cut for space reasons. This includes gravity bombers, cruise missile sand the Vought T-22 “Assault Breaker.”

 

 

If you would like to help fund the acquisition and preservation of such things, along with getting high quality scans for yourself, please consider signing on either for the APR Patreon or the APR Monthly Historical Documents Program. Back issues are available for purchase by patrons and subscribers.



 

 Posted by at 2:13 pm

US VTOL Projects #03 NOW AVAILABLE

 aircraft, art, awesomeness, CAD diagrams, drawings, history, new products, news, projects, US VTOL Projects  No Responses »
Mar 282023
 

The first US Aerospace Projects in *years* is now available. Cover art was provided by Rob Parthoens, www.baroba.be

US VTOL Projects #3

US VTOL Projects #3 is now available (see HERE for the entire series). Issue #2 includes:

  • Lockheed CL-579: An optionally-manned “communications satellite” for after WWIII
  • Vanguard Model 18: A short range passenger transport from the 60s with slightly unusual wings
  • Hiller STORC: A helicopter that could convert into a conventional aircraft for long-range ferry flights
  • North American Rockwell NR-356 Sea Control Fighter: The design that led to the failed XFV-12A
  • Bell D181: One of the first VTOL “assault transports”
  • Hiller Anti-Submarine Warfare Drone Tailsitter: An unmanned pulsejet-powered torpedo-launcher
  • Gates Twinjet: An ill-timed executive transport helicopter
  • McDonnell Douglas VT107-4-4I: A short-range VTOL jetliner from the early 70s

While this issue covers the usual eight designs, note that it’s about 50% longer than similar, earlier issues. The delay in publication was due in large part to working on several book… and working on several books seems to have led me to be more verbose in my descriptions. So hopefully this means a better product!

 

 

 

 

USVP #3 can be downloaded as a PDF file for only $5.25:

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 Posted by at 8:18 am
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